Finding His Light
by CountingLockets
Summary: Spirit Albarn is a born star. An amazing artist, with a seductive voice. Franken Stein is an escaped patient from a psych ward. Both have suffered from unfair lives. What would happen, exactly, if these two were to encounter each other?
1. Chapter 1: Spirit Albarn

Chapter One: Spirit Albarn

Spirit was nervous, real nervous. He had never felt so nervous in his entire life. The room he sat in was not air conditioned, which did nothing to help. He could feel the prickle of sweat bead on his forehead. He ran a hand across it. But, that was no good either. His hands were sweaty, as well.

Naturally, he went back to twiddling his thumbs. His restlessness unsettled him. His legs felt numb from sitting on the too-small plastic chair underneath him. So, when they called his name, he stumbled to the door.

"I'm Spirit Albarn," she announced.

The woman who called his name just scowled at him. She was none too friendly. She wore all black clothing, head to toe. Her hair was short in the back, but longer in the front. The two longer strands fell just below her chin, and sat on both sides of her face. Her eyes were oddly yellow.

" _Strange for someone to have yellow eyes_ ," Spirit thought, " _Maybe contacts_?"

"Oh, really? I never would have guessed," she snapped, flipping the clipboard so he could see his photo.

He walked through the hallway to the room, feeling stupid. Two men, and a woman sat behind a table. There were no instruments, no nothing. This is not what he expected. Well, at least, he had hoped for something more. He certainly did not want to do a raw performance.

It's not that he couldn't sing without instrumental sound in the background. He just liked to hear something other than his own voice. He hated singing in front of people with no music in the background.

But, an audition was an audition, either way. So, he braced himself for what would be the best performance of his life.

"You're Spirit Albarn?" the woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he chortled.

"Nice to meet you, we are Stuck in the Past," the man on the right of the woman announced.

Spirit chuckled slightly. The band's name was ironic. All Spirit had ever dreamed about was the future. And, now he was auditioning for a band with such a contradicting name.

"I don't see why that is funny. But, please, proceed with your audition."

The man on the left practically sneered at the redhead. Spirit was worried that he'd ruined his chances, but he was determined. This was the band he would join. These were to be his bandmates. He was certain that he would blow their minds, and that was what he did.

He belted out lyric after lyric. His pitch was absolutely perfect. He was excellent, confident. That was what the other three wanted. Someone who looked just as good as his, or her singing. They lacked that confidence. What's more, they'd never heard the song he was singing before.

Which most likely meant that he could write songs. And, he was most definitely good at that, as well. The man on the right held up his hand, silencing Spirit.

"You left your telephone number, correct?" he questioned.

"I did," the sapphire eyed man replied. A grim look crossing his eyes.

"We have many options that we would like to consider, but we will call you once everything is decided."

Spirit's eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly. His chest pinched tight, and he took in a jagged breath. He felt as if he'd been physically punched. It wasn't a straightforward no, but Spirit knew how this type of thing worked. They'd tell you they'd call, and then you'd never hear from them again.

He walked slowly out of the room, looking back for a moment. The three that sat behind the desk were strange. Like they gave off a certain kind of aura, that made Spirit's skin tingle. Though, he couldn't figure out why that was. Why had he felt so compelled by them?

Especially the girl at the end of the table, the girl with the pale blonde hair, and the dark green eyes. He felt like he was being pulled towards her. He wanted to know her. He wanted to know why he felt that way. But, if the band refused him, he'd never have a chance to find out. It was hard for him to leave.

"Goodbye, Albarn," the lady who had showed him to the room sneered. She glared at him as he left.

That was another thing that gave him an odd feeling. It was like the woman hated him, but he'd never met her. He'd never even seen her before.

"Have a nice day, dear," he politely replied.

His mother had always told him to kill his enemies with kindness. Though, this woman hardly was his enemy. Still, he felt an unbearable weight as she stared him down. She grunted in response. Spirit walked out of the small building, a gust of cool air breezing over him. He sighed.

Just one more thing to add to his failures. It was nearly night time. The street was bustling with people, probably heading to the local pubs. Spirit had never understood what pleasure the pubs gave those people. Drinking their problems away seemed weak.

He could never do something like that. He continued to walk down the sidewalk. Passing people as he did so. At one point a middle aged man stumbled into him, knocking him into a girl around his age.

She whined to her boyfriend that Spirit had hurt her, and so he decided to have a "talk" with Spirit. That got him a black eye, and a busted lip.

He was furious by the time he reached his apartment building. He stormed into the front entrance, continuing his quick pace to the stairs. He started up them, slipping on a wet substance near the top. He tumbled forward, rather than backwards, hitting his face on the next step.

"Damn it! As if my face hasn't taken enough damage!" he cried in anger. He rose to his feet, clenching his fists as he looked down.

Red liquid lay on the stairs where he'd hit his face. Blood, Spirit's nose was bleeding. He could feel the warm liquid rolling down his chin now. It slid onto his dirty white shirt, soiling it even further. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, but held back his urges.

Instead, he knelt down, wiping the blood up with the bottom of his shirt. He felt sick as he looked at it. It was so red, so sickeningly red. He'd always hated the sight of blood. He let his shirt fall back onto his belly, bringing a hand up to pinch his nose shut. He needed to get to his apartment quickly, before he made a mess in the hallway.

He walked swiftly to the last doorway in the hallway. He unlocked it, pushing it open, and entering it. He went to slam the door, but caught it before it actually connected with the frame. He would be evicted if he managed to damage it.

Which he wouldn't have minded, if he could've afforded to live somewhere else. But, as it was, he couldn't. The interior of his apartment was very small. As soon as you walked through the door you were standing in the kitchen area. It was crowded, and had no room for a dinner table.

His pad had no dining room, and no living room. So, he ate his food sitting in a chair near the small counter, or in his bedroom. The bathroom was down a short hallway to the left, across from his bedroom. He made his way there, gazing into the mirror after he entered. The skin around his left eye was red.

Though, you could clearly see the beginnings of purple, and black showing in certain spots. His bottom lip was split in the middle. He resisted the urge to run his tongue over it. His nose had stopped bleeding, but the bridge of it was already bruising.

His short red hair was knotted, and messy, his skin seemed too pale. His azure eyes seemed very dull. He looked lifeless, and far too old for his age. Spirit was always overconfident, always full of himself around others, but deep down inside, he hated himself. The way he looked, the way he dressed, everything.

He just wanted to disappear, to vanish into thin air, because he wouldn't be missed. No, nobody would miss pathetic, Spirit Albarn. He didn't have anybody to miss him. A tear slipped down his cheek. He took a washcloth in his hand, wetting it, and placing it over his stinging face.

When he removed it, his face was clean. He dried it with a hand towel. He stared at his reflection for a few more moments. Tears still collected in his eyes. He didn't let them spill over. Instead, taking a deep breath while running a hand through his hair, he blinked them away.

He still felt the dull ache in his chest, but it was just bearable. He left the bathroom, retiring to his bedroom. He lay down on his stiff bed, staring at the ceiling for a while, before dozing off.


	2. Chapter 2: It's Always Dark

Chapter Two: It's Always Dark

-Stein's Pov-

It was cold, so very cold. Snow had fallen upon the ground, covering it in a blanket of frost. I tried to run, but only stumbled. I knew they were close, but my legs refused to move. Hot tears fell in salty streams down my cheeks. Then...

-Narrator-

Stein shot up in bed, his breathing ragged. He brought a hand up to his eyes, rubbing them. He gripped the thin sheet that lay beneath him between his fingers. His heart was speeding, pounding in his chest. It hurt so badly.

The creaking of metal on metal caught his attention. He turned his head to gaze at the door. A man in a white lab coat had stepped through it. The coat was splattered with small red stains.

"Blood," Stein thought.

The man that stood before Stein was new. He was a thin man with light brown eyes and thick black hair. A somewhat soft smile slipped onto his lips as he spoke Stein's name. The man looked to be several years older than Stein.

"Are you Mr. Franken Stein?" the man questioned.

Stein knew in a sense what was going on. It was time for his medication. He simply nodded, watching the man pull a small syringe out of his lab coat. Then, the man walked towards him, extending his hand.

"Your arm," he said.

Stein slowly raised his arm, letting the man take it. He seemed to be more patient than the others. He didn't yank, or jerk Stein's arm. He simply took it into his rough hand, and injected the black liquid.

Stein instantly felt sick. He began shaking and his vision doubled. The doctor had given him something new. He looked up at the man in fear, as he released his this. The man's smile was different. It seemed almost sad, almost apologetic. That was very odd.

Stein gazed at him until he could no longer do so. At that point, he'd collapsed onto the steel bed beneath him. That night, Stein dreamed of his mother and his father. They were sadistic dreams. Dreams in which he murdered them.

When he awoke, he was no longer in his cell. Instead, he lay hooked up to a large machine. Bright lights stung his eyes.

"Ah, so you're finally awake," a deep voice chuckled.

"Where am I?" Stein questioned.

If Stein hadn't been disoriented he would've sneered the question, however, that wasn't the case. The man gave him a thoughtful look before replying.

"I don't believe I'm obligated to answer your questions."

"I suppose not," Stein grumbled.

"I apologize if you feel uncomfortable. However, this is for your own good. We need to record your progress," the man said.

"My progress?" Stein questioned.

The man gave him a strange look and tapped his fingers on the clipboard he was holding.

"On your...special ability, Franken," he clarified.

It was odd that he'd called Stein by his name. And even stranger that he referred to Stein's defect as his "special ability."

"Why didn't you just check me normally?" he questioned.

"The normal way?"

"Yes, you know, with the normal serum and in the normal room."

"Ah, yes. Well, simply because it would be harder for you to escape in the normal room," the man said, shrugging.

"Excuse me? I think the serum you gave me is making me delusional," Stein said.

"No, you heard correctly. I'm going to let you escape. You can go now," he assured Stein, as he released him from his bounds.

Stein slowly rose from the bed to his feet. He looked at the man and then headed to the door. Gripping it in within his hand, he pulled it open. The first thing he noticed was the trails of blood running down the hallway. He stumbled back a few steps, bringing his hand to his mouth.

"What's wrong, Franken? This is your chance, go," the man that stood behind him chuckled.

"Did...did you do this?" Stein asked, gesturing to the hallway.

"Indeed I did. It was a necessary evil, Franken. I promised I would save you," he said, with a smad smile.

Stein couldn't understand what he was saying. The man promised to save him? Who had he promised? Stein couldn't remember. Stein opened his mouth to speak, but the man spoke first.

"No, Franken. Don't speak, just go. I'll cover your escape."

"I...I don't know the way out," Stein stammered.

A perplexed look crossed the man's face. He stepped closer to Stein and took his arm.

"I should've known. I'll take you to the exit, but we must hurry," he stressed.

He pulled Stein into the hallway and started sprinting. The blood that was near the door ran in streaks along the floor and splatters along the walls. The sight made Stein feel uneasy. But, he felt even more uneasy when he realized that some part of him liked the way the red looked on the white walls. A shiver ran through him at that thought and he felt like screaming. After what seemed like forever, the man ceased to move.

"Theirs the door, Franken!" He shouted.

He continued to pull Stein, but both of them were yanked backwards. The man grunted as he was flung to the ground. Stein was ripped from his grip. The man looked up to see Stein pinned to the wall by a large guard. The man quickly got to his feet and rushed towards the guard, knocking into him.

The three of them fell to the ground, the guards grip slipping from Stein. The man slammed the guards head against the floor before gripping Steins hand, pulling him to his feet again. He then pulled him quickly to the entrance. The man pulled off his lab coat and handed it to Stein.

"Put that on, it'll help cover your prisoner clothing. I'm going to go to the desk and press the emergency button. Once I do, run as fast as you can. Don't look back," the man commanded before pulling Stein into an embrace.

He then shoved Stein through the doors and into the outside. As he did so he whispered five quiet words to Stein.

"I always did love you."

The last thing Stein had seen before the doors closed was man's face. It held a strange expression, it was one of sadness and happiness. The cold air chilled over his skin, making him shiver. Stein had not been outside in years, he loved the fresh air. But he had to escape, so there was no time to enjoy it.

He sprinted forward, leaving the facility behind him. He was running into the darkness, but away from the source of everything dark.


	3. Chapter Three: Her

Chapter Three: Her

A week passed and Spirit still hadn't heard from Stuck in the Past. He was starting to feel even more miserable than he had before he met with the band. He'd decided that maybe he wasn't cut out for stardom. He was just about to give up when something amazing happened. He was walking down the main street in town, when someone reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket. Spirit stopped, mid-step. He turned around to see who it was.

He came face to face with with her, the girl from Stuck in the Past. Her dark green eyes sparkled in the dim sunlight. Her hair was up in a hair tie, her lips were painted with rouge.

"Spirit, Spirit Albarn," she said.

Spirit was speechless, he tried to search for words, but nothing came to him. He just stood there, staring at the girl in front of him. She had let go of his coat, he could leave if he chose to, but it was as if he was frozen where he stood. She had captivated him. His mouth fell open a bit, as if he were going to speak, but he said nothing. The girl gave him a strange look. She examined his face, making him feel embarrassed.

His cheeks were flush, not only by the cold weather, but from the way she was looking at him. He wanted to avert his gaze but could not do so.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Her voice was soft, it reminded Spirit of his mother's, in a way.

"I, uh, yeah," he stammered.

"Well, that's good," she giggled.

Her laugh was like a chime playing in the wind, it made Spirit's heart explode with joy.

"Aren't you in Stuck in the Past?" Spirit questioned.

"I am! You remember."

"Yeah..."

"Care to join me for a cup of java?"

"Um, sure."

The girl smiled up at him with closed lips. She and Spirit walked side by side to a small cafe. They walked in silence, gaining a few looks from a few people. As he walked through the cafe's door, a wave of warmth hit his face. It was a nice feeling. The girl chose a small booth for them to sit at.

"So, Spirit," she begun.

"Yes?" Spirit asked.

"You haven't even asked me my name, yet," she laughed.

A blush rose to Spirit's cheek once again.

"Well, that's because you haven't told me," he replied.

"I was waiting for you to ask me, silly."

"Okay, what is your name?"

"It's Kami."

"That fits you," Spirit said, absentmindedly.

And it did fit her. Kami was a very beautiful woman. She looked as if she could have descended from some sort of divine spirit.

Kami looked up from her menu,"'Scuse me?" she asked.

"Ah, er, nothing."

"You're a strange one, Spirit Albarn."

A waiter soon came, taking their orders. Spirit ordered a chocolate chip frappe and Kami ordered straight black coffee, accompanied by an order of pancakes. They awaited their order in complete silence. Spirit glanced through the window beside him, watching as the street filled with people heading home from work. While Kami continued to look at him. To her, Spirit was something that sparked her interest. And, although she had never been the subtle type, she found herself slowing down to Spirit's nervous pace.

"Hey, Spirit," she said quietly.

Spirit brought his attention back to her. By this time they had gotten their orders. Kami was looking at her cup of coffee.

"Yeah?"

" Sid doesn't like you," said.

"Who is Sid?"

"He's our bandleader, he was sitting in the middle of the table."

"Oh, I see," Spirit sighed, before taking a drink of his frappe.

"But...the three of us decided that we want you to join our band," she informed him.

She bought her head up so she could meet his eyes. She watched as the widened. Spirit nearly choked on his drink before jumping up from the table.

"Seriously?!" he exclaimed, catching the attention of the other customers.

"Yes. That's why I came to find you. We need you for a concert tonight," Kami explained.

"Tonight? But, I don't know any of your music!" Spirit shouted.

"We'll discuss it after we meet up with Sid and J.B, okay?"

"Alright..."

Kami rose and motioned for Spirit to follow her, and he did. They left the cafe and headed down a side street to the left of it. Spirit had never been to that side of town, so he made sure to stick close to Kami. She stopped in front of a small grey warehouse.

"Now, don't be shocked by Azusa," Kami said before walking through the rusted door.

"Wait, Kami, who is Azusa?" Spirit queried, but Kami didn't reply.

As they walked into the building, the yelling immediately started.

"Where have you been?!"

Spirit looked towards where the authoritative voice came from. A petite girl with long dark hair stood beside one of the male band members. Her bangs were short in the middle, but longer on the sides. She had piercing blue eyes that made Spirit feel fearful. She seemed like somebody that would be hard for him to get along with. Especially when her gaze fell on him.

"Who the hell are you?" she inquired.

"This is Spirit, Azusa. Our new band member," Kami replied.

"I didn't ask you, I asked him," Azusa snapped.

"Well, I answered you."

Kami shrugged and walked over to the male with dreadlocks. His brown eyes were somewhat soft.

"I found him," Kami said.

"I can see that," he spat, glaring at me.

"You gave us a lot of trouble, you punk," he growled.

"What do you mean?" Spirit questioned.

"You gave us a faulty number," a voice from behind him replied.

He turned around to come face to face with the blonde-haired band member.

"That's Sid, I'm J.B., glad to welcome you to the band," J.B. greeted, extending his hand.

Spirit gladly took it in his. It felt nice to feel welcomed. J.B. gave him a smirk.

"Now...about the concert tonight..."

"Yeah, you better give us something to work with," Sid growled.

"Sid, come on now, be nice," Kami scolded, giving him a scowl.

"Don't have to," Sid spit.

Kami just sighed.

"Kami, Sid is right. We need the guy to give us something to work with," Azusa agreed.

"Look, how about we show him some of the covers we do? Are you fast with learning lyrics? We have three hours to practice, the concert doesn't start until ten p.m." Kami informed him.

"If you give me something, and we start now. How many songs are we doing?"

"Only one," J.B. mumbled.

"I can deal with that."

"Then get to practicing," Azusa barked.

Kami grabbed Spirit's arm, directing him to a door on the opposite end of the room.

"Who is that woman?" Spirit whispered.

"That's Azusa, she's our manager."

"She's a little scary," Spirit remarked.

"You'll get used to her," Kami chuckled.

Spirit didn't think he would. They entered a room with a drum-set, a guitar and a synthesizer. J.B. brought out a music stand and a microphone.

"Here ya go. What song should we do?"

"Lithium by Nirvana," Sid suggested unenthusiastically.

"No, we shouldn't do Lithium for our first concert with Spirit," Kami commented.

"Then what would you have us perform?"

"Hm... Pumped up Kicks," she replied.

Nobody protested, so they practiced the song. Three hours passed and it was time to go on stage. Spirit's heart was fluttering, pounding against his chest. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, everyone went silent. He swallowed hard and looked to the ground. His first thought was that the crowd already didn't like him. It wasn't a very big crowd, only like eighty people, but Spirit had never performed in front of more than three people. He almost bolted from the stage, but an arm around his shoulders stopped him.

He looked to the side to see Kami smiling at him.

"Don't be nervous, Spirit," she whispered,"They'll love you."

She took the microphone in her hand and spoke to the audience.

"Hello everyone! This is our new vocalist, Spirit! He's a little shy, so show 'im some love!" she shouted.

Immediately after, the crowd exploded into applause. Everyone was cheering. Spirit looked out to them, gazing at them with wide eyes.

"Here ya go," Kami said, handing him the mic.

She walked over to her spot, taking the guitar in her hands. The rest of them started to p-lay and Spirit brought the mic to his mouth, stopping a few inches away from it. He begun to sing, letting his eyes close. The crowd went silent, but he didn't care, he enjoyed singing. He loved to sing, it made him feel like he was worth something, it made him feel happy. When the song was finished, the crowd exploded into cheers.

Spirit opened his eyes, examining the smiles on the peoples faces. He felt a wave of happiness embrace him. He felt as if he was going to cry. Kami and J.B. walked over to him, giving him a pat on the back.

"They loved you," Kami shouted.

"Yeah, I think we'll keep you around for a long time," J.B. agreed.

With that, the concert ended. Spirit said goodnight to his band members and started on his way home. Although, he had no idea where he was. It was around twelve a.m. and it was pitch black outside. Spirit felt fearful walking through the abandoned streets of West side. However, he was already too far from the warehouse to go back. He regretted telling J.B. that he didn't want to stay overnight. Eventually, he came up to a street that went straight and had an alley that ran along both sides of the street.

And, for some unknown reason, he decided to go down the one to his left. It seemed to go on forever and it was so dark. He was frightened. Eventually, he started to hear heavy panting. He wanted to turn back, but couldn't bring himself to do so, he had already gone so far. So, he kept walking, although his conscious told him it was a bad idea. As he went, the panting grew louder. Soon enough, he found the source.

Spirit looked to the ground where a man covered in blood was lying. His body was illuminated by the moon, it threw a silvery glow from the man's hair. He was unconscious and looked to be in a lot of pain. Spirit wondered what had happened. He walked over to him and kneeled beside him. Spirit peered down at the man's face. His skin was pale, his glasses were cracked and his eyebrows were furrowed. Spirit brushed his bangs away from his face. The man's skin was chilled and clammy.

Spirit grabbed the man's arms and with some trouble, lifted him onto his back. He couldn't just leave the guy there. The man's arms hung limply over Spirit's shoulders, lightly brushing over his chest as as Spirit walked. It took Spirit about a half hour of walking until he finally found his street, it was connected to the alley. He then walked twenty more minutes before reaching his apartment. By this time, he realized that he had a million stairs to walk up, and he was already exhausted. However, he somehow managed to make it.

When he finally reached his floor, he quickly trudged to his room, laying the man on the bed. He stripped the lab coat off of him and immediately went to get the the first aid kit. He spent the next thirty minutes tending to the man's wounds. He eventually fell asleep slumped against the bed.


	4. Chapter 4: Where Am I?

Chapter Four: Where Am I?

Stein woke up feeling very dizzy. He had no clue what was going on, however, he felt very strange. He was lying on his stomach, face down. It felt as if he were laying on something soft, something comfortable. He also felt warm, a feeling he never felt in his small metal room. He had always woken up chilled nearly to death. He didn't try to move, though, He simply lay still, enjoying the warmth he felt. That was when he remembered the events of the past few nights.

Several days ago he had escaped from the asylum.

 _~The Events of Several prior to this point in time~_

Stein needed to move quickly, he could hear the guards from the asylum running after him. He had reached a dense forest, filled with who knows what. He had no choice but to go through it. If he kept moving on the road that lead to the nearest city, he would be a goner. The guards would capture him. He could hear them yelling to each other in the distance. He wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him.

Before he could stop himself, he slammed into something hard. He fell back onto his bottom, looking up, he saw a disfigured beast. He took a deep jagged breath, attempting to scoot away from the monster. However, the beast reached it's large bony hand out and snatched Stein up by the head. He nearly shrieked from the utter terror and the pain. The creature was so ugly, so ghastly that Stein wanted to look away, but it's glowing eyes stunned him. He could only look into the redness of the orbs.

Before he knew it, Stein was being lifted from the ground and brought closer to the it's body. Just as the distance between him and the monster was about to be closed, Stein's arm shot out as a defence mechanism. His palm connected with the beast's chest and something odd happened. Stein felt a surge of energy rip through his arm and into the creature, causing it to backlash and fall to the ground. It's grip on Stein went limp, causing him to fall to the ground as well.

When the creature did not get up, Stein did. He got to his feet and made a run for it. It seemed like days before he reached the end of the forest, but when he finally had, he was blinded by the city lights in the night sky. He could see the shine behind the barbed wire fence. That was where he needed to be, inside of that fence, inside of that city. He could hide there. Stein started to search for an entrance.

He did not find one, however, he did find a tear in the fencing. He crouched and squeezed himself through. And, to he disadvantage, he was not unscathed. He had acquired a wound to his shoulder. It bled badly but Stein knew not where to go. He couldn't go to a hospital, he had no proof of ID. Besides that, he was still wearing his asylum uniform underneath of the lab coat.

So, he'd decided to find somewhere that would shield him from the eyes of the citizens. He hid in an alley overlaid with darkness.

 _~Present~_

Stein couldn't help but wonder if he had actually died. It didn't feel as though he was dead, however, it felt too nice for him to be alive. He hadn't felt as nice as he was in a long time. All he knew was dark, cold rooms with steel beds and paper thin blankets. Taking a deep breath, he placed both of his palms against the object that he was lying against, and begun rising. He nearly collapsed due to the overwhelming ache he felt in his left shoulder. But, he rose despite the pain.

When he could finally get a clear look, he saw that he was on a bed and covered with a blanket. He sat fully rightside up and had a look around. It appeared to him that he was in some sort of shabby apartment. That was when Stein saw him. His breath caught in his throat as he scanned over the man's features. What had caught his attention most was the man's tousled red hair. He had never seen somebody with such a vibrant hair color before. The second thing that caught Stein's attention was the light bruises that traced Spirit's cheekbone and his mouth.

The man lay slumped against the bed, his face pressed against its upper edge. His cheek was smooshed between it. Looking at the man, Stein felt some kind of unknown emotion burst through his chest. Although, that had been happening a lot lately. Stein felt as though he wanted to reach out and touch the other's face, but he kept that impulse to himself. Instead, he quietly rose completely off of the bed and headed to what he assumed was the bathroom. He was correct and upon entering, he gazed intently into the mirror. Stein hadn't seen his own reflection in a little more than ten years.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He looked unnaturally pale, and very sick. His skin was tight against his bones and his cheeks were slightly sucked in, he was way too thin. Looking at himself made his stomach weak. He nearly wanted to keel over and puke, but there was nothing in his stomach to puke up. Stein decided that it would be best to leave, he decided that it would be best not to involve the man that lay in the other rooms in his affairs. He didn't want to cause any harm to come to other's. He was the criminal, not them.

Besides that, according to the doctors at the asylum, Stein was dangerous and he didn't want to hurt the man that had helped him. However, Stein's outward appearance would cause suspicion among the citizens of the city. So, Stein raided the man's clothing, taking a pair of dark jeans, a black sweatshirt and a pair of socks. He dressed in the bathroom, carrying his former clothes out of the room with him. He would dispose of them elsewhere. He couldn't believe how many stairs there were in the apartment building, and felt even guiltier that the man had carried him all the way to his room.

Once outside, Stein deposited his clothing into a nearby dumpster. Though, before doing so he checked the lab coat's pockets and found a wallet and a letter. He tucked the letter inside of his jeans pocket and looked into the wallet. To his surprise, there was around two thousand and five hundred dollars inside. The man that had helped him at the asylum must have intended to give him his lab coat. Stein simply stuffed the wallet inside of his pocket as well. He decided that he would find somewhere to go and eat. He walked down the crowded streets of the city, only attracting a few gazes as he did so.

He was attracted by a delightful smell coming from a small cafe. He entered the building, warmth slamming against him. He breathed in and smiled a bit. He was happy that he was going to be able to finally have a good meal. He sat in a small booth, observing the way the other customers ordered their food. He had never ordered food from anywhere before, so he needed to figure out the proper way to go about it. He found himself staring at a young woman with dreadlocked hair. When she caught him staring, he looked away shyly.

"Can I help you?" a delicate voice asked.

Stein looked over to find the girl that he was staring at standing to the side of his table.

"I...um, I apologize for staring at you," he stammered.

He looked up at the girl's face as she laughed at him. Stein couldn't understand why she laughed, he hadn't said anything funny.

"I mean, can I help you with your order," she clarified.

Stein had obviously neglected the fact that she was a waitress here.

"Oh...um, what would you recommend?" he asked her.

"First time coming here?" she questioned.

Stein gave her a slight nod.

"Okay, hun. How about you let me order something for you then?" she suggested.

Stein just nodded again and watched as she walked away, scribbling something onto a notepad. It was a while before she returned, and Stein found himself examining the way that the other people in the cafe were acting. He saw a man and a woman holding hands, a young couple whispering into each other's ears and a family laughing and talking. He also noticed that all of these people were smiling. They were all happy. Happiness was a feeling that eluded Stein, and as he watched, he felt his chest pinch with a sadness that was almost unbearable.

The woman came back and sat down his meal. He looked down at it. There was a lot there. Eggs, bacon, pancakes and sausage, she even ordered him a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

"I've never seen someone with such sad face expression before," the girl whispered so low that Stein almost didn't catch it, but he had.

He didn't say anything in return, however, instead he simply asked how much the meal was.

The girl replied by saying,"It's on me, dear."

Stein read her name tag before she went, it read "Mira Nygus." Stein spent the rest of his meal wishing that he could feel the happiness that others felt. There were many things that Stein lacked that caused his sadness, but the most pressing one was that he had nobody to share happiness with. Stein was all alone in the world.


End file.
